Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21,225, Joseph Gilles, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Gilles, Joseph.
S 21.225
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

New York 28.684
Joseph Gille
Montgomery in the State of New York who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Hazleton of the Reg t commanded by Col Fellows in the Massachusetts for 11 mo. 10 days
Enscribed on the Roll of New York the rate of 37 Dollars 77 Cents per annum. commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12 th day of May 1834 and sent to Hon C. McLean H. Reps
Arrears to the 4th of March 1834 / 113.31 Semi-ant. allowance ending Sept 4 '34 / 18.88
$132.19
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Sam l H. Page Clerk. Book E Vol. 4 Page 126

No. 19-741
Joseph Gillis
Montgomery County New York
J.
Ref to E. D. Buys
Oct. 2 1898
Hon C. McVean Joseph Fisher agent & R. M. Northville R. Office Montgomery County New York

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office.
May 29 1833 Oct 28
Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: { ). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A Statement, shewing the Service of Joseph Gilles Montgomery county N. York
   Period when the service was rendered. Duration of the claimant's service. Rank of the claimant. Names and Rank of the Company officers under whom he served. Names and Rank of the General and Field officers. Battles in which the applicant was engaged. Country through which he marched. Place of abode when he entered the service, and age at the present period. Evidence by which the declaration is supported.   Years. Months. Days.     Enlis 1775 1 10 Private Capt Hazleton Lt Blake Cpl Fellows Lt. Ager non stated To Roxbury near Boston 79 years Traditionary   Enlis 1776 3 do 2d Lt Stuart Blake, Capt Mello Maj. Tupper Col. Woodbury Maj. Dickerson to Dorchester Albany Co Ticonderoga Worcester County Massachu- setts  
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
Fellows's regt in 75 second Enlis
3666 111 3777

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
The following regulations have been adopted:
 This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c. Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of Private Armed Vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service. 
Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
1. The Regular Troops. 2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers. 3. Persons employed in the Naval service. 4. Indian Spies.
As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons, claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION,
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
State, Territory, or District of } 88. County of }
On this _____ day of _____ personally appeared (a) before A.B. a resident (b) of _____ in the county of _____ and State, Territory or District of _____ aged (c) _____ years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) _____, with _____ and served in the _____ (e) regiment of the _____ line, under the following named officers:
 [Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. [This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.] 
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of _____.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
A. B.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this day of &c.
 If, on examination of the proper record the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out. 
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
(k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the _____ and C. D. residing in (the same) _____ hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with _____, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be _____ years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, Clerk of the Court of do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this                      day of                      &c.
Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration (1) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person
The applicant is referred to E. D. Bangs, Secretary of the State that will give evidence of his good character.

will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected. All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County, in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
 1. Where and in what year were you born?  2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?  3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?  4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?  5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services. 
 6. { To a Soldier. } Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given and what has become of it?  { To an Officer. } Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it? 
 7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. 
The Court will see that he answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons -one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify, to the character and standing of other persons, giving such certificates.
The traditional evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
[a] The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, with precision, the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the Department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service; but, according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades:—For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."
It is important, in all cases, to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months , is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must, in every case, be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he has no public seal of office, the certificate of a Member of Congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
Proof of Service.
[j] In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimant's entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
[k] The notes from [a] to [j] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[l] This traditional evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[m] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[n] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.
to of Massachusetts in whose papers are rolls of the Militia of Daniel D. Davidson Exam Clerk

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7 th of June 1832
State of New York Montgomery County } ss -
On this nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas held at the Court House in the Village of Johnstown in the County of Montgomery now sitting Joseph Silley a resident of the Town of Hop in the County of Montgomery & State of New York aged seventy nine years last August who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 -
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers & served as herein after stated: - That in the latter part of April in the year one thousand seven hundred & seventy five he resided in the Town of Oakham County of Worcester & State of Massachusetts - That he then enlisted to serve ten months in the first Militia Service under Captain Simeon Haskton, Lieutenant George Blake & 2 d Lieut Stewart Blake under the command of Colonel John Fellows, Lieutenant Colonel Nahum Ape, Major Tupper, Adjutant Beman - That he went to the Town of Roxbury near Boston & from there to Dorchester where he remained until the expiration of his term of service when he returned home - That in December in the year one thousand seven hundred & seventy six he resided in the

for the term of three months under the Command of Captain John Wells in Colonel Woodbury's Regiment & Major Dickerson - to go to Danbury in Connecticut - That at Northampton in the State of Massachusetts the orders were counterman- ded & he went to Albany - That the Regiment was then divided & he was ordered to Tienda- ga where he was dismissed on the 23 d of March in the year seventeen hundred & seventy seven when he returned home - That he does not recollect any of the Officers under whose Command he served except those he has already mentioned - That he has no documentary evi- dence & that he knows of no person who can testify to his services - That he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present, & that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State - That he thinks in the town of Sandown in the State of New Hampshire he was born in the year one thousand seven hun- dred & fifty three - That he has no record of his age - That when he first went into service he resided in Oakham in the County of Worcester in the State of Massachusetts - at the second enlistment he resided in the town of Cold- Rain & County of in the State of Massa-  That since the war he has resided in Salem Washington County & State of New York Saratoga County & State of New York also in Edinburg in the County of Saratoga & State of New York and that he now resides in the town of Hope in the County of Montgomery & State of New York - That he volunteered his services in the Militia - That the names of his Officers were Colonel John Fellows Lieutenant Colonel Nahum Alger or Eger - Major Tupper - Colonel Woodbury - Major Dickerson - That he assisted the first ten months in building a fort at Rox- bury near Boston - and the last three months

He was engaged in getting out timber & building a breast work at Ticonderoga - That he never received a discharge from the service That he is known in his neighborhood by Jacob Van Arnum, James Harris - Joseph Sprins -
Sworn to & subscribed the { Joseph his mark } Gilles day & year aforesaid in Open Court
Geo: D. Ferguson, Clerk
Mr Aaron Simons a Clergyman residing in the Town of Northampton & County of Montgomery and Jacob Shew residing in the town of Northampton in the County of Montgomery. Hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph Gillis who has sub- scribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 79- years of age & that he is reputed & believed in the neighbor- hood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion -
Sworn To & subscribed the { Jacob Shew day & year aforesaid - in Open Court
Geo: D. Ferguson, Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interroga- tories presented by the War department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and

served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Aaron Seamans, who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the town of Northampton, and that Jacob Shew, who has also signed the same is a resident in the said town, and is a credible person, & that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, George D. Ferguson, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the Original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joseph Gillel for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal of Office this 25th day of September 1832.
Geo: D. Ferguson
Joseph Gillel
19741
V
adm 11m 10 ds per $27.77
Hon C M Nelson

Reverted
21 225
en
INVALID.
File No. 21,225-
Joseph Tille
Prv Rev War
Act: June 7 th 89 th
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 158
[Arrangement of 1870.]

16
Joseph F. Spier Esq.
P. M.
Northville
N.Y.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, March 27 th 1834.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Joseph Gilles, as a Private, is borne on a Muster Roll of Capt. Simeon Hazeltine's Company, in Col. Fellows' Regt. where he is allowed from May 2 d to August 1 st 1775. for services and travel three Months and m d seven days. ————— 3=7
Joseph Gilles' name is borne on a Pay Roll of Capt. John Welles' Company, in Col. Timothy Robinsons Detachment of Militia, where he is allowed from December 23 d 1776. three Months and ten days. ————— 3=10
Joseph Gilles claims for further services 6=17 under Capt. Hazeltine in 1775, but the roll after the first of August in 1775. is not found in this Office.
Edward D. Dins Ly
at D